


Setting fire

by luvkaykay41



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Acceptance, Angsty Pearl, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Death in Childbirth, Smoking, soft Rose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:22:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22217722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luvkaykay41/pseuds/luvkaykay41
Summary: After Rose announces her pregnancy, Pearl runs off somewhere secret to smoke a cigarette. Rated T for depictions of tobacco use.A short Oneshot for practice. Let me know if you see any mistakes. (Rewritten and edited. it was taken down for some touch-ups. Thank you for your patience and understanding)
Relationships: Pearl/Rose Quartz (Steven Universe), Rose Quartz/Greg Universe
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Setting fire

With shaky hands and a tear-stained face, Pearl pulled the box of cigarettes she kept for special occasions out of her gem. Well, it wasn’t a special occasion. It had been an occasion where she was numb and wanted to feel something. She placed a cigarette between her teeth. She pulled her lighter out as well, it was a brass Zippo lighter she found in the 40’s sometime during the second world war on earth. It was a pretty thing, it had a tree engraved in the metal. More specifically, a cherry blossom tree. It reminded her of Rose, she supposed that was the reason she picked it up. She ran her fingers across the picture feeling the cool metal, before quickly snapping the lid open and stroking the wheel. She held the flame to the end of the cigarette until it glowed orange. The sun was setting. It would be dark soon, but in Pearl’s eyes, the world would never be light again. Her lover was killing herself over a man. She had met men and of course like all living things, Rose loved them, but this was different. Rose was IN love with him. Pearl felt hurt and betrayed. 7,000 years apparently meant nothing to Rose because after three she was having a baby, and she would be gone soon. She drew in deeply, the smoke filling her lungs, setting fire to her insides, it felt at least like something, she closed her eyes and took another drag. “There you are” a soft voice came from next to the rock Pearl was leaning up against, Pearl blew out while she spoke,   
“Don’t do this, don’t come to me like this,”  
“But this is what I want…” she paused then spoke again “my Pearl, I never meant to hurt you.” Rose sat next to her. Her pink curls blowing slightly in the sea breeze, Pearl rubbed her hands together holding the cigarette tightly between her fingers clenching her jaw holding her tears back. She took another drag, “I never knew what made you like those so much,” Rose said slightly annoyed.   
“I don’t know why you’d care,” Pearl answered exhaling, smashing the cigarette butt into the sand. “The only thing you seem to care about lately is yourself,” she threw it into the ocean.   
“You shouldn’t do that, it hurts the ocean,” Rose said softly getting up to retrieve it. “You know Pearl, it isn’t all bad”   
“How could it not be all bad?” Pearl said quietly enough for Rose to just hear it, pulling another cigarette out of the box and lighting it. The sound of Giggling suddenly filled the air as earl flicked the ash into the sand. She looked up to see rose playing in the ocean, a bubble with Pearl’s cigarette butt inside floats next to her.  
“One day, after I’m gone,” Rose began, “my child will be able to enjoy all the wonders of this planet, for the first time” Pearl’s heart warmed slightly, as she took another drag. She thought of when Rose came to earth for the first time and was entranced by everything on it. But the warmth suddenly turned to disdain  
“Do you even care about me at all? I thought You loved me. I thought you’d stay. For me. But you only care about yourself” Rose’s playing stopped.   
“I do love you, Pearl and I know you love me so very much. But my Pearl, I want this more than anything,”   
“You can’t just love someone and leave them!” she yelled, “You don’t just spend 7,000 years with someone and leave them for some human! Rose looked down and yelled, “this child will love you more than I ever could!” the sand cracked underneath her, Pearl begins crying and throws herself into Rose’s arms   
“but why, why can’t you just stay with me?” Pearl cried, “aren’t I good enough?”   
“My Pearl,” Rose said almost a whisper “you’re wonderful. Of course, you’re good enough,” Rose knelt down, Pearl still in her arms, “But this baby is on its way now they arent going anywhere” Pearl pulled away slightly to look down at Rose’s round stomach. Suddenly, Rose grabbed and placed Pearl’s hand over it gently. The baby kicked, moving underneath her palm. Pearl gasped softly,   
“Is that it?” she asked shocked.  
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Rose questioned back, Pearl laughed, surprised as the baby moved once again “one thing though Pearl” Pearl looked up with wide eyes   
“Yes?”  
“Please don’t smoke those things around my baby”  
“I promise” Pearl replied sincerely   
Four months later, the cries of a baby filled the beach and Rose was gone. Pearl snuck off one last time to smoke her last cigarette, she enjoyed it slowly in silence, tears streaming down her face she walked slowly toward the ocean and let the waves wash over her toes as she took one last drag and put the burning end out, she bubbled the cigarette end and just sent it back to the temple, as Greg walked over, baby in arms. He stood next to Pearl, a healthy distance away, “She’s gone isn’t she?” Greg asked   
“Not all gone,” Pearl said looking down on Steven as he cooed happily in his father’s arms Pearl moved closer and carefully touched his gem. A smile pulled at her lips, "She is a part of him now, she will always exist in him,” Pearl said as if talking to Steven and not Greg. She stuck her finger out for him to grab and Steven touched Pearl for the first time and suddenly Pearl wasn’t so sad anymore. Pearl giggled, “He has her hair… doesn’t he?” Greg smiled and replied,   
“Yeah … yeah, he does,” they stood there watching the waves in silence Pearl flicked her lighter on and off stroking the engraved metal and missed Rose.

Fin


End file.
